FILM REVIEW: Toy Story 3 (2010 unfinished review)

At the time of its release in the summer of 2010, I attempted to write a review for 'Toy Story 3', my highly-anticipated animated film, ever. Time after time, this review was constantly edited but never completed. I don't have much time or patience to thoroughly complete it, and since this was at the peak of my writing habit, and since we're already into 2012 as it is, I think it's best to finally release it, unfinished and unorganized, but better than never at all. Notice the "...", indicating a blank statement that'd bridge the points above & below it:

‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

PIXAR/DISNEY
DIRECTED BY: Lee Unkrich

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

PIXAR’s darkest, Toy Story’s finest

It has stretched to over 11 years. 11 years, the longest I ever had to wait for anything. And with good reason. Toy Story & Toy Story 2 were the most magical (animated) movies I’ve ever seen growing up; Wall-E is definitely up there, but not only are they years apart, but Toy Story has a completely different ‘existence’ compared to Wall-E, even though they’re all made by the mind-blowing film genius that is PIXAR Studios.

I’ve been following the development history for Toy Story 3 since as far as it has gone, from changing plots to dropping Disney. I was growing impatient. And now that it has been released this year, for something like this, I was very nervous as to whether I would be pleased with the final product, or whether my expectations over the years would be satisfied.

My call was answered with a beautiful yes, as predicted, but there is a lot to say, and though this is a review of PIXAR’s movie, what it really comes down to, overall, is PIXAR itself. Simply said: Just like our old companion Andy has grown up over the films, PIXAR has really grown up over its lifetime.

If you’ve seen the films over the years (which you must have in some lifetime), you’d notice that though there is a clear moral message in most, the way they are expressed have evolved through every film. Wall-E is a very clear example; though it was a love story through-and-through, it touched on a very critical issue in our generation of commercialism and consumerism, and just how far we’ve come/we’re coming to the death of our planet and ourselves. It’s these sorts of messages expressed in PIXAR’s films that makes it completely unparalleled to any other CGI film studio in the history of CGI. Up came after, and it too touched on a critical issue: death and loss. While we got the fun from Mr. Fredrickson and Russell’s adventure through South America, it beautifully touches on the emotions of letting go, and comprehending what has to be done to make things right inside. These examples make one part of PIXAR’s uniqueness above any other studio. PIXAR has that awesome ability to seamlessly balance what is comical and moral, and what is serious and real. No other animation studio can do it as incredibly as PIXAR. Not Dreamworks, not Sony Pictures Animation, or even Sylvain Chomet (well, maybe). Which is why there is an understandable amount of hype with everyone of their films, as well as universal acclaim and profits.

So here we are, we got Toy Story 3, the sequel to the clutch to PIXAR’s success, the sequel we’ve waited over a decade for, and it’s finally here, at the peak of PIXAR’s brilliance in movie material. Do they transfer these strong messages and mature concepts to the last film of an innocent trilogy?

Again, yes, but Toy Story 3 is also by far, the darkest and most intense CGI film I’ve ever seen, and possibly in PIXAR’s history.

Without attempting to spoil anything (which is frankly difficult here), Andy, the imaginative boy who brought life to his plastic toys and set the course for the films, is in his late-teens and is off to college. His room is littered with car posters, trophies, video games, papers, applications, crap... yeah, he’s definitely a maturing young adult.

The movie begins with a live set-piece of Andy’s imagination at work as a young kid. Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, almost every toy we’ve come to know by now, are at a wild, dialogue-driven Western bonanza, with space aliens and flying pigs… until Andy’s mom shows up with her camcorder. What follows is a montage that shows how much of Andy we remember and love, and how much things have changed minutes later.

…

These toys are going to die! They’re accepting their fate together, they’re holding their hands in unison as they await their doom in the fiery pit of hell! There were kids around me! I mean, I was blown away when PIXAR decided to add blood for the first time in Up last year. But to put, not blood, but fucking imminent death and doom?!?! In TOY STORY?!?!

…

Putting aside all these statements that make the whole (and end) of Toy Story 3... there is still so much gold to say for this movie. Even if this wasn’t a PIXAR film, or you don’t have much interest in animated films or Toy Story, there is still so much to applaud here, anyway.

The scenes between Andy and his moments with his toys are nothing short of emotional... the main plot was obviously damn intense... the comical scenes were spot-on for both the younger and jumpier audience, and the mature and accustomed audience... no predictable moments... no seconds of lulls wasted... and I can’t continue without hinting the business in CGI candy. The fantastic pacing of Toy Story 3 makes it hard to focus on the beautiful and vibrant scenery and characters, the excellent soundwork and rich musical score, the details-upon-details-upon-details... it’s a breathtaking view when you’ve seen the movie enough to ignore the plot for a bit, or even after just finishing the first two hours ago. The leaps in animation technology over the years have really shown; Wall-E is no exception, Toy Story 3 is even more attractive than the wonders of space. I saw this in usual theater fashion; seeing it in 3D would probably be too much to take it, and I have a lazy-eye, so I doubt I’d get much, anyway... but it’s simply unbelievable to imagine how far CGI has come...

There were quick skits added during the credit reel. Granted, I don’t usually like these kinda skits in animated films; however funny they are, they just feel a bit cheesy and tacky to me, even if they were necessary (this movie needed some light humor after all the sh*t that went down). But that’s just me. This isn’t even a minor negative. It’s just an opinion. The only negative to this movie is you not seeing this. Toy Story 3 is exactly what I’ve been waiting for all these years: not just another PIXAR classic, but a proper conclusion to a story so wonderful, so endearing, so unforgettable, so beautiful to look at, and so true and magical to the masses, that you just don’t want it to end. But it must. Woody, Buzz, the toys, and Andy have made their mark spot-on forever after, and with the Toy Story trilogy now complete, its endearment will never pass from our hearts.

... until the trilogy arrives on DVD and BluRay. Then the adventures can be relived over and over again. Awesome.

RATING: It’s obvious by now I don’t need to rate this. Okay, fine: ☆☆☆☆

- Ant